The 20 highest revenue generating clubs in world football earned €9.2bn in the 2021/22 season, according to the 26th edition of the Football Money League published by Deloitte’s Sports Business Group. The year-on-year increase of 13% comes as matchday spending rebounded, rising from €111m to €1.4bn, following the return of fans to stadia as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.
Commercial revenues rose by 8% year-on-year (from €3.5bn to €3.8bn) but the impact of this was offset by an 11% (€485m) fall in broadcast revenue following a high comparative 2020/21 season, which benefited from deferrals of broadcast revenue relating to postponed 2019/20 matches.
For the second year running, Manchester City has topped the Money League (€731m total revenue), followed by Real Madrid (€714m), Liverpool (€702m), Manchester United (€689m) and Paris Saint-Germain (€654m).
The club posted a Premier League record commercial revenue of €373m in 2021/22, a growth of €65m from the previous season.
For the first time in the publication’s history, more than half of the Money League now herald from a single country, with Premier League clubs making up eleven of the top-20. Five of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ clubs reported revenue increases of 15% or more in Euro terms (a total increase of €226m) as new commercial partnerships began and non-matchday events such as concerts and stadium tours returned.*
Tim Bridge, lead partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, said: “For the first time, Premier League clubs fill the lion’s share of positions in Deloitte’s Football Money League. The question now is whether other leagues can close the gap, likely by driving the value of future international media rights, or if the Premier League will be virtually untouchable, in revenue terms.
“The Premier League was the only one of the Big Five European leagues to experience an increase in its media rights value during its most recent rights sale process. It continues to appeal to millions of global followers and its member clubs have a greater revenue advantage over international rivals.
“Commercial partner, fan and investor interest in the Premier League appears higher than ever before. While this suggests optimism for further growth, continued calls for greater distribution of the financial wealth of English clubs across the football system and the impact of a cost-of-living crisis makes it all the more important for the game’s stakeholders to keep a clear focus on their responsibility as stewards of leading clubs.”
